The Chiefs got back under the horse with a 6-2 loss to Pawtucket. Sammy Solis gave up a leadoff HR in the 1st then gave way to the scheduled starter Sean O’Sullivan, who gave up three runs on six hits and two walks over four and a 1/3rd innings to get his first “L” of the season. Clint Robinson doubled twice while BrAAAAndon Snyder walked twice and homered as the Chiefs managed five hits total. Roster moves: RHP Trevor Gott optioned from Washington, LHP Matt Grace recalled to Washington, LHP Sammy Solis assigned from Washington for MLB rehab.

Harrisburg saw a 4-3 lead evaporate in the bottom of the eighth, “thanks” to two errors, a walk, and a homer as Akron took the series finale, 7-4. Matthew Crownover got his second no-decision in three starts as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over five and a 1/3rd innings. Braulio Lara blew his third save and took his second loss as he retired just one of four batters faced and gave up a walk and homer as the final four RubberDuck runs were charged to him. Alec Keller and Yadiel Hernandez both went 3-for-5 while Raudy Read singled and homered to lead the Sens’ 14-hit parade. Roster move: RHP Wirkin Estevez promoted from Potomac.

The P-Nats scored single runs in the 1st and 2nd and two in the 5th as they took their sixth win in eight games, 4-2 over the Mudcats. Taylor Guilbeau got the start and the win as he tossed five scoreless innings with six hits and one walk allowed and three whiffs. Kyle Schepel laid two more goose eggs and Gilbert Mendez one before he lost the shutout and wobbled through a two-run 9th. Victor Robles was hit by a pitch and lifted after driving in the second Potomac run on a two-out single in the 2nd. His replacement, Matt Page, went 2-for-3 while Rhett Wiseman singled, walked, and doubled twice to lead the Potomac offense.

Hagerstown came to Kannapolis in first place, up by a game and a half. They’re leaving in third place – effectively two games behind with three to play as the Intimidators ran them into the wall with another doubleheader sweep, 5-4 and 9-1.

In the opener, a 2-0 lead courtesy of a two-run HR by Aldrem Corredor in the 3rd was erased by a four-run 5th. Sheldon Neuse tied it with another two-run jack in the 6th, but Kannapolis made quick work of Jacob Howell in the bottom of the 7th with single, sacrifice, wild pitch, and another single to plate the gamewinner and secure the 5-4 win.

In the nightcap, an early 1-0 lead vanished with three in the 1st then five in the 3rd as the Intimidators completed the four-game sweep by a combined 28-7 margin with a 9-1 rout [Insert comparison to BOS-NYY Sept. 7-10, 1978 here].

Both the Grasshoppers and the BlueClaws also won last night, which means the Suns need a whole lot of help to win the division. If they sweep, they need two losses from Kannapolis and one loss from Greensboro (Hagerstown has the tiebreaker over Lakewood). If they take two of three, they need three losses from Kannapolis, two from Greensboro, and one from Lakewood.

The Suns’ tragic number is therefore two (2) — any combination of wins by Kannapolis and/or losses by Hagerstown equaling two will eliminate them from the first-half title race.

Author: Luke Erickson

Since 2009, Luke Erickson has been chief writer, editor, and bottle-washer of NationalsProspects.com. Potomac is his home base as a season-ticket holder, but he has visited every affiliate north of Florida at least once, with multiple trips to Hagerstown and Harrisburg.
View all posts by Luke Erickson

8 thoughts on “Friday’s News & Notes”

I think that the recent hitting by Goodwin and Taylor on the big club cements your spelling of BrAAAAndon Snyder (very funny, BTW). I expected him to be up at some point, but now it is a bit hard to imagine. Clint Robinson also seems unlikely to come back at any point.

After seeing the insult to Brandon Snyder was reminded how I’ve been thinking the last week how I’d much rather see him with the big club over Difo.
Snyder’s OPS is .890 so there’s nothing left for him to do at Syracuse.

Difo, meanwhile was a pathetic .509 this year and singlehandidly lost Saturday’s game because he could not run the bases better than a 12 year old.

Sad to see what happened to Hagerstown, thought they would win the division.

Snyder has played a little OF, and I felt he really got bypassed when they signed and quickly promoted Ryan Raburn. Snyder isn’t really a direct utility INF comp with Difo because Difo can play SS, which they needed with Drew on the DL. The Nats are really hurtin’ with middle infielders in the upper minors . . . which means Difo can probably buy a house in Syracuse. But I don’t see him as good enough right now to be a bench regular to replace Drew in the coming years. He may get very used to the Syracuse-to-DC shuttle . . . although I doubt there’s a direct flight!